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Adam Byatt, the chef whose London restaurant Thyme shut in the summer, will open his next effort later this month. Origin will be situated at the Hospital complex in Covent Garden, the arts centre which was created by Microsoft billionaire founder Paul Allen and was the home of Thyme until it closed. The new restaurant is a partnership between the owners of Hospital, Simon Wright of Room and Byatt.

Thyme moved into the Hospital from its original site in Clapham in November last year, after Chicago chef Charlie Trotter pulled out of a deal that would have brought him to London. "I've got unfinished business at the site and it's a great opportunity to look at what worked commercially here before and what didn't," Byatt told Restaurant magazine. "Origin will be much more focused on the food and the provenance of the ingredients."

In the first major book deal relating to Hurricane Katrina, historian and author Douglas Brinkley is planning "an analysis and narrative of the ongoing crisis in New Orleans in historical context". It is scheduled to be published by the end of the year by William Morrow and has a working title of The Great Deluge. Financial terms have not been disclosed and, as yet, there is no indication on whether any proceeds will be donated to charity. Brinkley was the official biographer of gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson, who shot himself this year.

David Willetts, the shadow trade and industry secretary, has joined actuaries Punter Southall as a senior policy adviser. Willetts, who is nicknamed "two brains", shadowed work and pensions before switching briefs after the last general election. He is an outside bet to win the Tory leadership and his contract contains a release clause in case of a shock victory.

Former president Bill Clinton hosts his grandly titled Clinton Global Initiative tomorrow to coincide with the World Summit at the UN. The three-day meeting aims to "identify immediate, practical solutions to some of the world's most challenging issues" and has attracted an eclectic guest list. Among the names expected to sign pledges to do something to better the world are Tony Blair, UN secretary general Kofi Annan, Rupert Murdoch and Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state.

One speaker on the bill is Harrods boss Mohammed Al Fayed, who was contacted by Clinton after French president Jacques Chirac passed on a copy of a Channel 4 documentary in which Fayed talked about poverty.

Some are viewing the event as a chance for the former president to shore up his legacy, occasionally dubbed as a "shadow presidency". Since leaving the White House, Clinton has been creating his presidential library, writing an autobiography and recovering from two heart operations.

A film partially funded by JK Rowling and using only one professional actor is up for award at the Los Angeles International Shorts Film Festival. Friday Night Shirt, which deals with an abusive relationship, lasts 15 minutes. If it scoops a gong it could be nominated for an Oscar. Rowling donated "thousands" to the film's £30,000 budget, and was approached after stating she was keen to fund projects with a connection to domestic violence. She endured a stormy first marriage.